Opinion NeiSkan
1# I II ^1 1 Friday, November 12, 1993
Daily
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska Lincoln
Jeremy Fitzpatrick Editor, 472-1766
Kathy Steinauer Opinion Page Editor
Wendy Mott Managing Editor
Todd Cooper Sports Editor
Chris Hopfensperger Copy Desk C hie/
Kim Spurlock Sower Editor
Kiley Timperley Senior Photographer
“Well, we had both planned this bank robbery
and we were probably both sure that we were to be
caught and something took over us that I don ’t, I
can’t, explain. I don’t know what it is. I have my
own religious theories why we were both out of
control. ”
— Roger Bjorklund, in a taped confession played at his first
degree murder trial.
“My brother will probably never walk out of
Vietnam. But somebody else’s brother could. I
believe some men are still alive, and I don’t think
they are there because they want to be. ’’
— Lincoln resident Linda Bohac, who hopes to find out what
happened to her brother when the Pentagon declassifies most
records about Americans missing in action in Vietnam Thursday.
'77/ be beating the hell out of somebody. I’ll be
really pissed. That would be totally unfair to Coach
(Tom) Osborne and the rest of the team. I really
hope that won’t be the case. ”
— Nebraska football player Kevin Ramaekers, on how he will
react if Nebraska finishes the season undefeated and doesn't get
to play for the national championship.
“I think terrible thoughts about (my opponents).
I think that they broke into my grandma ’s house
and beat her up or that they talked trash to my
mother. ’’
— Ramaekers, who donned a shirt that read "Proof that there
is a God: Iowa State 19, Nebraska 10" at a Tuesday press
conference.
“They want to prove it wasn 't a fluke. They could
come out and beat us by 70 points, but Saturday 's
margin of victory still won’t change last year’s
loss. ’’
— Iowa State football coach Jim Walden.
“You skinned him, you heartless bastard. ”
— AS UN president Keith Benes, as a student walked past him
with the remains of a Barney doll at “Bash Barney" day
Wednesday.
“I’m just kind of taking my winnings. I doubt if I
can ever get that lucky again. I haven’t bought a
ticket since. ”
— Brian Swerczek, a junior agronomy student who won
$10,000 in the Nebraska Lottery.
“It was the most terrible thing I have ever seen in
my life.... There were people on the coach and
arms and legs sticking out everywhere. "
— John Walraven, who witnessed the bus accident in
Faversham, England, that killed nine Americans.
“He said that he deserved to die, that what he
did was wrong. He stated that he wanted to call
Candi Harms’ parents and tell them what
happened."
— Lincoln police officer Timothy Kennett, testifying about a
telephone call he says he overheard Roger Bjorklund make to his
wife while in police custody.
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Hazing
In response to Brent Burmood’s
comment about stereotyping the
grcek system over the recent hazing
incident (DN, Nov. 9), who would
you be most upset at — a fraternity
that hazes or people that arc mad at a
fraternity for hazing? Are you more
worried about the greck image or
how Jeff Knoll is feeling right about
now? You said that you do not be
lieve hazing is a serious problem at
UNL. When would you consider haz
ing a serious problem at UNL —
when two or three people fall out a
window, when you fall out of a win
dow?
You did say, “the No. 1 thing the
grcek system faces is not hazing,
drinking and running wild, it’s per
ception.” You put image above hu
manity. That’s a real problem for
you, but not a stereotype.
Jeff Bombcrgcr
junior
actuarial science
‘Leap of logic'
Mr. Koestcr claims I misquoted
him. He accused “the pharisees and
their followers” of killing Jesus (DN.
Nov. 2). He should expect criticism
for such words. He is forever respon
sible for the words that he used. He
was not “misrepresented.”
In his response (DN, Nov. 10), he
claims “one of my best friends is
Jewish.” I think I’ve heard that be
fore. It’s a classic WASP response.
Another point: 1 never called
Koestcr a racist. I didn’t even call
him an anti-Semitic, although I sug
gest that his own words convict him.
It is a leap of logic from anti-Semitic
to racism. The Jews arc not a race;
Judaism is a religion.
Furthermore, it doesn’t take “quite
an imagination” (DN, Nov. 10) to
link “the pharisees and their follow
ers” with Jews in general. How imag
inative were the crusaders, cossacks
and Nazis? Koestcr owes the Jews a
sincere apology.
Robert J. Tobin
graduate student
geology
Crime
In response to Adam Cedcrlind
(DN, Nov. 3): I understand where
you are coming from, but I disagree
with where you are going. If some
one broke into your house and killed,
raped and tortured your daughter, wife
or whoever, could you forgive that
person for such a callous act? Put
yourself in the Harms family posi
tion, that this happened to you.
When it comes to compassion and
understanding, I can forgive some
one for breaking a window, stealing,
lying, etc. The window, television,
etc. can be replaced. Stolen money
can be paid back or returned. Lying
can be reconciled through reestab
lished trust. The Harms family will
never be able to see, touch or hear
their daughter ever again. One per
son took her away on a whim. To ask
for forgiveness, understanding and
compassion for the perpetrator of this
crime is just too much to ask for.
Mark D. Mercer
freshman
general studies
!•! As. :
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David Badders/DN
Debate
In response to Matt Zimmerman’s
article on the NAFTA debate (DN,
Nov. 11), Zimmerman has the same
problem as A1 Gore. When debating
about NAFTA, the key issue is not
Ross Perot, it is NAFTA. It’s called
focusing on the issue.
Perot talked about American jobs
being lost to Mexican workers be
cause American corporations can hire
Mexican workers and pay cheap Mex
ican wages. Perot asked, why would
you have a trade agreement with a
country that can’t afford to buy any
thing you make? NAFTA is a one
sided deal.
On the other hand, while not talk
ing about Ross Perot, Gore talks about
the opinion of one unionized indus
trial worker in the rubber factory that
thinks NAFTA’s a good idea. There’s
a qualifying credential.
The media can attack anyone per
sonally if they want to, but try to
criticize Perot’s argument against
NAFTA. Talk about the issue. Get
on the subject. That’s all Perot was
trying to do.
Jeff Bombergcr
junior
actuarial science
Football
I’m breaking my vow of silence.
As a student, I get screwed by the
system all the time. Let me explain
the situation. I decided to protest the
new football ticket policy by not buy
ing tickets this year. I didn’t want to
sit clear up in the boondocks. I’ve sat
behind the football players for a cou
ple of years with other students. Why
do I have to sit in a section that’s so
old it s tailing apart/
1 support the football players be
cause they are students. I don’t sup
port a new athletic director that has
changed the outlook of the game to
money. I know I’m disillusioned: I
thought the game was for fun, the
need for competition through physi
cal endurance, cheering tor Tommie
Frazier and others. Isn’t that what
sports is about?
The new athletic director is ex
ploiting the system. I have to work
four hours at my above-minimum
wage job to pay for a football ticket.
I can’t afford one football ticket be
cause they all cost the same. A ticket
in the visitor section, which are the
worst scats in the stadium, costs $20.
This isn’t fair. Am I alone in think
ing this isn’t fair? I miss Bob Dcvancy
and his football tradition, and 1 miss
going to the games. What’s next, tak
ing away our bleacher seats at bas
ketball games for ceiling rafters?
Amy Price
senior
history
Racism
Mr. Kepfield, the reason the as
sault at Broyhill Fountain was not
automatically ascribed to racism is a
simple one (DN, Oct. 27). There is a
long history in this country of Cauca
sian males assaulting people who are
different from them. It is for that
reason that when 10 “white guys"
attack a black student, many people
suspect racism.
Implications that blacks are being
given a blank check to commit crimes
that whites could not get away with
are merely attempts to deflect efforts
by minorities to receive equal status.
It is interesting that so many Ameri
cans are suddenly concerned with
equal justice after the Denny trial.
Such unpopular verdicts have been
force-fed to minorities since Ameri
ca’s inception. I do not suggest that,
as Kepfield puts it, “we rationalize
reverse discrimination in such mat
ters as making up for past lynchings
or beatings.” I just find it interesting
that it takes an unpopular verdict
where roles are reversed for Ameri
cans to develop a sense for and an
understanding of equal justice.
There is a movement in this coun
try being orchestrated by people like
Kepfield, whose purpose is to over
turn any and all advancements made
by minorities and women. It stems
from the simple fact that white males
arc heing challenged in the workforce.
The legacy of prejudice that allowed
them to receive the best opportuni
ties in the workplace is under siege.
It is interesting that when many com
panies blatantly and exclusively hire
white males, ignoring minorities and
women, the word quota is never used.
I say white males have been fulfill
ing an unspoken quota by hiring their
own for centuries.
Charles Cochran
Lincoln